A Side of Sweet Potato Fries with Ketchup

I love ketchup.

It's truly my favorite condiment.  Fries, fried chicken, anything friend actually just doesn't taste as good without ketchup.

Of course, I knew right away that not only would I be giving up French Fries on the Nutrient Dense Challenge, but inadvertently also ketchup. While I'm definitely mourning the loss of those greasy, salty sticks of potato, I was nearly heartbroken about ketchup. 

But then I remembered how delicious sweet potato fries were!  And if I loved sweet potato fries, surely there would be a Paleo-friendly recipe for ketchup!

Thank goodness for Google.

I found this recipe for Simple Ketchup on PaleoDietLifestyle.com.

While it calls for using only 1 can of tomato paste, I knew My Man and myself better and quadrupled the recipe.  Now, we have a whole jar of ketchup awaiting consumption.

mmm...ketchup...

Since the Nutrient Dense Challenge and other Paleo resources promote sweet potatoes as a great source of complex carbohydrates, we also decided to give sweet potato fries a try.  While I was a bit hesitant since my complete fail at making sweet potato chips, I let My Man lead the charge on this one.

He decided to go for a Cajun Sweet Potato Fries recipe on Primal-Palate.com.  He also decided to quadruple the recipe, but realized that maybe he shouldn't have quadrupled the chili powder.  Still, they're pretty tasty.

4 Sweet Potatoes Worth of Fries

I have to admit that while there are some things that feel like I'm "depriving" myself of, there are some ridiculously tasty alternatives.  It takes a bit of work on our part, but everything so far has been delicious and healthy. 

In the end, I'm certainly not feeling deprived of anything.  I noticed in this first week that I don't feel as hungry or "snacky" as I usually do, especially when my meals consist of protein, lots of veggies, and a small amount of fat as the guides are all suggesting.  I'm paying more attention to what my body actually needs and not what it wants because I'm stressed or bored.  It feels quite good.

Toesies of the Month - February 2013

Nail Design by Betsy at Nails2000, Jamaica Plain, MA
Color: Essie  - Jag-U-Are with Essie - Shine of the Times
Occasion: Valentine's Day
February 2013

Need I say anything beyond how cute the design is?  I don't think so, except to say that it's just awesome when the nail technicians know what they're doing.

Some Successes and Some Burnt Sweet Potatoes

After spending most of last summer and the beginning of our dating relationship at different restaurant tables, My Man and I decided to do a lot more cooking and meal planning as we got settled into ourselves.

I'm lucky that he's so supportive of my efforts with this Nutrient Dense Challenge.  He even reminded me earlier today that I had already been moving to eat this way, but that I just didn't have the guidelines.  But it's great that he's been so helpful about shopping, meal planning, and even putting up with what I'm sure will be multiple cranky sessions.

Today, I decided to make some sweet potato chip treats for the both of us.  After doing a bit of searching around, I found several recipes that I wanted to try: a great all-around simple Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Sea Salt style, a cinnamon style, and a chili lime style.  My only concern with all the different recipes was that none of them seemed to have the same oven temperature or time in the oven.  Well, I figured that if I wanted them to be more crispy, that I should leave it in the oven for the longer range. 

I was wrong.

Chili Lime, Cinnamon, EVOO and Sea Salt
A little delicious, a little burnt...

Some came out not crispy at all, some had great crisp but were a little more burnt tasting, and some were straight out burnt.

I'm honestly bummed about it.  But, at least I know that the seasoning choices I made were quite tasty.

With My Man's help, we made a delicious Cottage Pie.  This was the first time I've ever eaten so much cauliflower.  After this meal, I was pretty convinced that the cauliflower was mashed potato, and I'm certain I'll enjoy it as  rice substitute.  The recipe was a combination of the Shepherd's Pie recipes in the Well-Fed cookbook and Elana's Pantry.

Cottage Pie with It Starts With Food, Well-Fed Mashed Cauliflower
recipe, and bacon on the Griddler while Cauliflower cooks.

I don't think I've ever had Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie before in my life.  This recipe took much longer than we anticipated.  There are multiple steps that need to be prepped before putting it all together.  It definitely help to have two of us.

Day 2 on the Nutrient Dense Challenge has reminded me to be okay with making mistakes and that I don't have to do it alone.

Going Nutrient Dense-Whole30-Paleo

I had been thinking of going to see a nutritionist.  At this point, working out, while not easy, was something I knew I could do consistently.  But the ingesting was something I found more difficult than waking up early to go to the gym.

Enter MindBodyHealth.  In partnership with my bootcamp, they brought in this Nutrient Dense Challenge.  We would be changing the way we eat, with a focus on eating real and healthy food as opposed to the overly sweetened, salted, chemically-altered foods.

I had already started focusing more on eating more vegetables, more fruits, less of the processed stuff.  But my downfall is ultimately sweets.  Give me a piece of chocolate to satisfy my craving any day.  Any. Day.

So, when I saw the list of foods to enjoy vs. foods to avoid, I decided I would take up this challenge.

I can get behind all the foods in the "Yes" category.  The idea, really, is to eat real food.  It's based on what is now known as the Paleo diet, called so because it's going back to the basics.  But it's refined by the folks at Whole9.com who focus more on the science and not evolutionary theory.  I bought their book, It Starts With Food, and I can honestly say I'm getting behind the stuff they're talking about.

I'm still in the first chapters of the book, but I'm feeling really committed to what they're throwing my way.

So let me address all the thoughts I had about the "No" items.

Not eating dairy is fine for the most part.  I only really crave ice cream and cheese when it's in the house and I know it's in the house.  But I also know that if I eat too much of it I get a little gassy, and that's not good for anyone involved.

Not eating soy/tofu?  Well, I've been living off soy milk for a while now.  I tried almond milk and I definitely disliked it.  I've decided to give coconut milk a try.  I like it so far, but I have to be careful about any added sweeteners.  Now, there's also soy sauce.  How am I supposed to make chicken adobo???  After a Google search, I found Coconut Aminos (which I bought at Whole Foods), and I'm more than willing to try to make chicken adobo with this.

No beans of legumes might be a bit difficult, but I don't have too much of an issue staying away from beans.  Of course, I'm kind of wondering where the plant protein will come from in this diet, but I'm assuming that the answer is "another vegetable."

No grains means no bread, no rice, no quinoa.  That also means no pancakes, no pastries, no English muffin with my bacon egg and cheese (not that I get that too often).  But wait, I thought, how do they make those vegan pancakes at the All Night Costume Dance Party every year?  I knew there had to be a way!  So, for rice I will take some cauliflower and stick it in a food processor.  For pancakes, the base will be bananas.  For pastries, there's almond and coconut flour.  Thank you, Google and the multitude of resources out there!

No alcohol will be tough on tough days.  But I can get behind that easily.  I will miss wine a bit, though.

No processed foods of any kind include no artificial sweeteners.  That means no sweets, no candies, no sweetened chocolates.  This one is probably going to be the most difficult next to no grains.  I got me a major sweet tooth.  But, I do know that I can have unsweetened chocolate, which Trader Joe's has.  Basically, anything that has a long ingredients list that includes more real food is on the No list.

For the next month, I will try to be as hardcore as possible on this new meal plan.  I refuse to call it a diet, because my main focus will not just to eat less - but eat less bad stuff.  I decided to go for the group challenge in addition to some individual coaching, for the times when it feels tough or for when I have questions.  I will be relearning how to eat, and how to make better choices.

In the second month, we get to reintroduce the different categories of foods one by one.  This way, I get to see what food groups my body doesn't like or doesn't react well with.  I already know that dairy and beans make me gassy  I already know that all that processed sugar makes me extremely tired.  So, if I know these things, it's time for me to follow through.

This challenge is going to be hard.  There will be times when I might inconvenience others, and there will be a lot of work in terms of planning meals, snacks, and eating out.  But I want to change my eating habits.  I want my body to change.  And as many a wise person has said:

I'm ready, and I know I have the love and support of those around me.  Let's do this.

Reflections on 2012 and 2013 Goals

Well, hello there!

Happy 2013!!!

It's certainly been a busy time.  A lot has happened in the past year, the first half being extremely different from the second half.  But before I get going on details, let's review some unresolved goals from the past, shall we?

2011-1.  Get a full-time job that I feel excited and passionate about.
Well, the part-time job didn't become a full-time job.  I'm actually realizing that maybe having several part-time jobs is the way to go.  At this point, there's still not enough financial support for the things I want to do, and I'm not ready to go for creating an organization quite yet.  But, I have been hired for a part-time position in a place I love with tasks I wanted more experience in!  So, yay!

2012-1.  Seriously learn how to budget and handle my finances better.

Completely neglected.  Again.  I don't have much finances to manage, so, there's that.

2012-2.  Reach my 30th birthday at least a little lighter, physically, emotionally, and mentally - including learning how to lessen the busyness in my life.

This is both a point of pride as well as a laughable goal! I definitely did a great job at the physical, emotional, and mental lightness.  But the busyness hasn't stopped!  In fact, I was crazy in the month of December with so many social and work engagements!  I think maybe I just need to learn how to manage the busyness a lot better.

2012-3.  Visit the ocean even more than I did in 2011.

ACCOMPLISHED!  I went to the beach so many times with the man.  I went to new beaches, familiar beaches, cold beaches, and warmer beaches.  It was lovely.

2012-4.  Learn to cook and bake at least 2 new items.

I learned how to bake Buko Pandan Cupcakes and I learned how to cool Eggplant Parmesan!   This year, I'd like to tackle pies, frittatas, and quiches.

2012-5.  Make more music and dance more.

I am happy to report that I definitely danced more, with the help of the Dance Central game on the XBOX Kinect and the encouragement of my belly dance teachers.  I didn't necessarily make more music, but I did sing a lot more karaoke!

Honestly, 2012 was an amazing year.  I feel like I could feel how awesome 2012 was going to be, and I'm looking forward to a fun 2013 as well.

So, let's get to my 2013 Goals!

1.  Like, seriously do better about managing my finances.  Like, seriously.

2.  Keep in touch better both with people I care about and people I'm only acquaintances with.

3.  Take more trips.  The first goal is a long weekend in Vegas.

4.  Refocus on being healthy for myself, and not get bogged down by what others think I should be doing.

5. Refocus on building the kind of career I want.

Let's do this 2013!

Rice Krispies with a Filipino Kick

Why, yes.

I did take a favorite sweet treat and gave it a little Filipino lovin'.

Just added a teaspoon of ube extract to the melted butter and marshmallows,  and voila!  Instand Filipino-ness!

A Whole Lotta Camping for This City Girl

Dating a Nature Boy has its perks.

We definitely fuel each others sense of adventure.  While I like being in nature, especially the ocean, there's still the bit of uncertainty about being in the middle of the woods.

My family is not a camping family.  Whenever we went to other places, we would always stay at a hotel.  Perhaps it was coming from a different culture where having a bed was more of a luxury.  My mom would even question why I would want to sleep over a friend's house.  "You have your own bed already. Why would you want to sleep in a different bed?" she would question.  It was a similar line of questioning when it came to camping - "You have your own bed already.  Why would you want to sleep outside?"

When they finally allowed me to go on a camping trip with a mentoring program in middle school, I realized I was definitely afraid of the unknowns in the dark of nature.  I felt safer when we were carrying large, bright flashlights.  I had to walk in the middle of the group - because if something or someone attacked from the front we would be able to see it and run away, and if something or someone attacked from the back then people in the group might not realize it right away.  Being in the middle was the safer option for me.

With the Annual All Night Costume Dance Party in Vermont, I've been more comfortable with camping, mainly because it's not at all far from the rest of civilization.  Though I had invited Nature Boy last year, I didn't really pursue it because at the time we were both dating other people.  But this year he received the official invitation - Facebook invite and all.

campfire cuddling

This year, the theme of the All Night Costume Dance Party was the Apocalypse/End of the World.  I decided to go for a silly costume, as though I was ready for the impending flood.  Nature Boy went as, well, a Nature Boy, complete with fur loincloth.

ready for the end of the world

He grew up with a camping family.  They would often go on trips that involved setting up tents and pop-ups and things like that.  So, I made sure to rely on him for his tent construction skills as well as making sure we had the right kind of gear.  But his experience also made him aware enough to invest in better camping gear - like an inflatable mattress and a larger tent.

another dresser on fire...
destructive beauty

Dating a Nature Boy also means possibly going on more than one camping trip.

His brother and brother's friends were going on their annual camping trip together and invited us.  This time, we were in Saco, Maine at a KOA site.  Nature Boy and I couldn't figure out what KOA actually stood for, so we made up things like "Karaoke Outlawed Area" and "Kangaroos of America."  But apparently, it's as simple as "Kampgrounds of America."

These campgrounds are pretty awesome, actually.  I had never been in such a luxe campground, with all the amenities like clean showers and toilets.  It was also nice to have access to a power source so that we could have lights, fancy meals, and charging stations for our phones.  But it was also nice to get back to basics around the campfire.

embers

We were there for Labor Day weekend, so 3 nights of camping.  Three whole nights of camping.  At this point, 2 was my max.  But, in such a cushy situation at the KOA, it wasn't to difficult to feel comfortable.  We had a tent that was large enough for us both to stand in and fit a queen-size inflatable mattress, and it even felt like we had a little entryway area.  I basically had nothing but mosquitoes to complain about.

So, for a City Girl like me, nature is much more manageable with a Nature Boy around.

Toesies of the Month - September 2012

Generally, I didn't think animals are really allowed in a nail salon.  But I suppose some places will make exceptions depending on the circumstances.

I was getting my pedicure in the South End of Boston, where there is somewhat of a more classy and sophisticated feel to parts of the neighborhood.  This one girl walks in with her little shih tzu, and I couldn't help but take a picture of it.

Puppy Pedi

It was fairly well-behaved, and it was somewhat of a cooler day.  I'm not a big fan of seeing dogs tied up to a tree or a post, mainly because I question why they took the dog with them in the first place if they're not going to spend time with them.  So, this was a pleasant time at the nail salon.

Designed by Kim at City Nails and Spa, South End, Boston
Color:  OPI - Just Spotted a Lizard
Occasion:  Changing seasons
September 2012

The color itself was more of a goldish-greenish in the bottle.  But on my toes, it looks more gold unless I flex my toes a certain way. 

The word "gilded" floats through my head when I look at my toes.  At the very least, it reflects the tanning I've done this summer.

Water Water Everywhere - Beach Adventures 2012

At the start of 2012, I set the goal of visiting the ocean more than I did in 2011.  I am certainly proud to say that I have definitely accomplished that before the summer had ended.

Starting with going to Crane Beach even before Memorial Day Weekend, I went to the beach almost every single week this past summer.  There were even times when I went several times in a week!  The weeks when I wasn't able to make it to the beach, I was in some other form of water, like a pool or waterfalls.  Suffice it to say, I'm pretty tan as of right now.

Crane Beach
A little more than a month after the first beach day, I rejoined those same girl friends back at Crane Beach, and I ended up going to Crane Beach 2 more times with the summer camp.  Crane is really great beach, with or without kids.  Other than the long stretch of beach, there's a lot of parking (albeit expensive parking), decent changing and bathroom space, a kiosk with food and cold refreshments, and an outdoor shower/cleaning area.

beautiful sunny day at Crane Beach

Revere Beach and Nahant Beach and All Points Inbetween
There was also quite a bit of time spent in the Revere and Lynn this summer.  On Memorial Day weekend, a date took me to a beach somewhere between Revere and Lynn (maybe somewhere in Winthrop?), after a night of dancing at a drag queen bar.  Even though there were so many mosquitoes attacking me, it was a beautiful night, and watching the planes land and take off is really quite a romantic idea.

Logan Airport in the middle of the night

Later in July, I took my group of kids to Revere Beach for the Annual Sand Castle Competition.  I hadn't been there for quite a long time, so I didn't anticipate that there were going to be so many people and other camps present that day.  But the kids seemed to enjoy the free samples being handed out, and the sand art was quite impressive.

even the artist was impressing himself enough to take a picture...

how do they do it???

About a week later, I ended up back at Revere Beach, and once again at night time.  Originally, some of my coworkers and I were just going to hang, but when someone joked about going into the water only 2 of us were actually quite serious.

Remember last year when my girl friends and I celebrated one of their 40th birthdays by running topless into Revere Beach at midnight?  Well, I got to reprise this action with a couple of changes.  My guy and I both went in with just our undies, as I didn't want to go completely topless around my coworkers.  It was really fun, actually.  There were so many stars, and the water was relatively calm.  I wouldn't hesitate to go in topless next time, as there will obviously be a next time.

On July 1st, a friend invited me to join him and some other friends at Nahant Beach.  Though we got there later in the afternoon, it was still a pleasant day filled with riding around in my friend's Porsche during the day and a bit of hot tub action later in the evening.

a little topless action in a Porsche

In mid-July, I was once again at Nahant with friends.  This time, it was much more sunny, though the water was still a bit colder than I would have liked.

trying to touch the sun

Nantasket Beach
Early in July, we went to Nantasket Beach with the summer camp.  Nantasket is located right at Hull, south of Boston.  It's not too far a drive, actually.  There's an arcade and playground area for the kiddos, and there's also food kiosks along the boardwalk.  My only issue is that there isn't much beach between the wall that protects the boardwalk and the actual water.

But the water is shallow for a longer stretch, which allows the kids to think that we're going out much further than we actually are.

Good Harbor Beach
In the beginning of August, my guy and I decided to explore a new beach that neither of us had been to.  He had heard about Good Harbor Beach, located in Gloucester, and that it was a good one for families.  So one night after work, we drove up to the North Shore and discovered an amazing beach.  Two weeks later, we took the camp there.

There's a couple of showers, and a small bathroom area.  There's also a food kiosk with some pretty decent items, like a bacon cheese burger.  There isn't a lot of space to sit and eat by the kiosk, so we struggled with that when we took the camp.  But there's plenty of parking.

The waves are amazing!  I mean, real actual waves.  At all the other beaches, the kids would get all loud and scream when an ebb of the ocean would come at them.  But these are waves at Good Harbor.  Like, knock-you-off-your-balance-type waves.  The kids had a blast.

mermaid in the waves

My guy and I also had a great time here.  I don't think I've ever been at a beach on the East Coast when it's been around sunset and dusk.  I'm personally a fan of sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, but clearly I'm biased.  But the way the clouds looked and just being out in the water together, well, it was perhaps one of the most romantic things I've done.  You wanna sweep me off my feet?  Well, well-timed sunsets and oceans are a good way to do it.

Horseneck Beach
With the end of the summer camp nearing, my guy and I decide it's time for another beach trip just for the two of us.  On a related side note, it's pretty awesome that he's so into playing in the ocean.  He's really much more into nature than I am, having not grown up going on camping trips with my family.  He's also more willing to go into frigid water than I ever will be.  Regardless, it's been kind of an epic summer because of our ocean adventures.

mermaid and merman

Horseneck Beach is located on the Cape of Massachusetts.  It might as well be in Rhode Island, as it's at the bottom part of the state.  The beach houses are all eco-friendly, with no-flush toilets and automatic sensor faucets and paper towel machines.  There's a shower to rinse off the sand right outside the bathrooms, and an outdoor changing station.  The best amenity, really is that parking was only $7!! On a weekend!!!  Most of the North Shore beaches request about $25 just to park, which is ridiculous to me.  So $7 to park at a gorgeous beach makes the longer drive worth it.

clear blue-green waters

Oh, and the waves were awesome!

Wheeee!

Old Orchard Beach
On Labor Day weekend, we went with his brother and friends up to Saco, Maine, for a weekend of glamping - that's glam-camping - at a KOA.  Basically, I was still in a tent, but there were restrooms and showers and a laundry room and electricity hook-ups.  There were also little extras, like a swimming pool, a playground, and bikes and trikes you could rent by the hour.  There are even cabins folks can stay in for the non-campers.

I had never been to Old Orchard Beach until then, but it reminded me a lot of Santa Cruz.  There's a trolly that picked us up from the campground and dropped us off right in the center of it all.  Old Orchard Beach has a small amusement park, with a couple of rides, games, and arcades.  There was also some fairly decent food choices at the boardwalk as well.

Now, the beach itself was nice.  It was packed, naturally, on this holiday weekend.  I noticed quite a number of folks speaking French, and I'm assuming they came down from Canada.

But holy-mother was the water FREEZING!!! I mean, even the wet sand started to make the bottoms of my feet go numb!  But, being that my guy was going to go into the water, I was at least going to be brave enough to submerge myself in the water several times.

And then there were the dead bugs  I'm assuming they were little gnats of some sort.  As we were walking towards the water, I noticed rows of little things in the sand.  I was pretty sure they were bugs, but that's always my assumption.  "No way! They're just plant matter!" he said.  But when we got in the water, I was even more certain they were bugs, and he couldn't deny it any more.

So, the water was freezing and filled with dead bugs.  I looked around and realized that I was the only person of color actually submerging myself into the water.  There was one man who was only in the water up to his ankles.  I joked saying that I was starting to really dislike white people at that moment, but it felt kind of real as my body went numb.

Venice Beach and Santa Monica Beach
That's right.  I got to go to some West Coast beaches as well.  After the freezing waters of Maine, it was a wonderful change to be back in California.

Naturally, I wanted to bring my guy to the beaches, even though he's been there, just to provide a comparison.

The waves were the waves that I so loved playing in.  He seemed to enjoy himself in the water as well.  So much so that even though we were only really in town for 48 hours, we got to go to the beach twice.

For the most part, my friends and I had explored Venice Beach.  It had been quite some time since I had stepped foot on Santa Monica Pier.  But when we went to meet up with one of his friends from college, we met at what basically was a playground for adults.  There were rings, balance beams, ropes, and tension ropes.

Truth be told, everyone was so fit and athletic that it made me extremely self-conscious of my own body.  I knew there was no way I was swinging on the rings like a monkey.  But I decided to give the tension ropes a try.

quite difficult...but fun to try!

16 Beach Trips Total...
...as of today.  With fall in the air, I'm sadly putting away my bathing suits.  But, who's to say that there won't be a randomly hot day that calls for the beach?

I'm still quite satisfied with all the trips to the water I was able to make this year.  It made for a truly epic and unforgettable summer.

Get-Away in the Berkshires

Before the summer officially started, my friends, coworkers, and I had been saying that we could almost sense how amazing this summer was going to be.  We could just sense that it was going to be filled with adventure and good times.

This summer was perhaps the first summer in a long time that actually felt like summer vacation.  I mean, I was working full-time and definitely keeping busy.  But, it truly has been an amazing summer.

Having a little summer romance just seemed to highlight all the great parts.

Some close friends sent out an invitation a to hang at their house in the Berkshires of Eastern Massachusetts, which I forwarded to my close work friends.  But in the end, I ended up just bringing my summer romance.

The last time I was at this house, it had been in the dead of winter.  I believe others went skiing, but I chose to chill at the house.  Being that this was the weekend after the 4th of July, this was the first time I was able to explore the grounds and greenery around the house.

Apparently, there's an amazing little pond right behind the house called Hallockville Pond.  The house itself was located in the Hawley State Forest, so it was quite idyllic.  There were several tents along the pond's shore and a camp site on the opposite side from the house.

campsites at Hallockville Pond

We ended up taking advantage of a rowboat that sat at the shore of the pond.  I'd have to say that I had never felt like I was really living a scene from Disney's "The Little Mermaid" until this man started rowing me around the pond.

"percussion...strings...winds...words..."

I was literally waiting for a little crustacean to appear and start singing.  It was honestly hard not to completely geek out at that moment!  But, unlike the movie, we actually chatted a bit as we rowed around.  At some point, he asked me if I wanted to try rowing for a little.  I was a little nervous that I was just going to have us spinning in a circle, but I think I did I pretty decent job and managed to row us around for a bit before going back to the house.

"there you see her, siting there across the way..."

In the afternoon, the group of us went to a more swimmable pond.  The Plainfield Pond was a little more than a mile away, but there was a little bit of beach attached to it.  There were several families taking in the sun that day, including a family of ducks which would sometimes get close to the humans with food items.

duckies!

The pond itself was fun to swim in, but we would continuously feel plants and other unknown algae-feeling things at our feet.  After a while, it just started to creep me out a bit and I needed to get out of the water.

Later that night, after the delicious feast of bbq and veggies from the garden, we decided a bonfire with Smores was needed.  It was nice to have a little fire pit a bit away from the house, enough that we could see stars. 

apparently, Smores are called "Pogos" or something in Canada...
???

Honestly, it was an amazing weekend.  It felt nice to be away from all the business and noise that's part of a city, especially knowing that the summer camp was starting that following Monday. 

On Sunday, we got to spend a bit of time in the sunshine before driving back to Boston.  Hopefully, next time we go out there, we can explore some of the other attractions in the area like zip lining or hiking.  Either way, this city girl is learning to enjoy these country get-aways.

gorgeous weekend

Toesies of the Month - August 2012

It certainly has been a while since I've had time to sit and blog.

But here I am, near the end of this most amazing summer, to share my latest pedicure experience.

Well, let me catch you up a bit before I get to the toes.

I'm once again in a relationship.  Truth be told, he caught my eye when I first met him, but we were both in circumstances that wouldn't have allowed for anything to happen.  But I've learned more about myself in the experience of getting to know him better. 

It's been a busy summer as I've still been at the summer camp.  There's been lots of beach trips, laughs and frustrations, and a lot of sunshine.  I really have a lot of adventures to blog about.  Just looking back at my calendar makes me have flashbacks to all the things that have happened in the past 2 months.

But let's get back to the pedicure experience.

I don't know how, but I managed to convince a boy to get a pedicure.  It's kind of amazing, really.  I told him it was my treat to myself, and that the spa chairs help to make it a good experience.  He had been complaining about foot pain, so I figured it would be a good way for him to start taking better care of it.

man-pedi...NOT mani-pedi...

The nail techs were thoroughly enjoying the fact that a man was getting a pedicure.  They kept asking if he wanted to pick a color, and he continued to politely decline.  The infomercials on tv were the most ridiculous, one of them being about a bra.

I could tell he was so absolutely uncomfortable.  But he was a trooper.  He stuck it out with me til my toesies were ready to hit the road.

Speaking of which...

Designed by Betsy at Nails 2000, Jamaica Plain, MA
Color: OPI - My Fave Wave
Occasion: Summer Lovin
August 2012

You can't really tell, but there are specks of gold in the aqua.  It's gorgeous, and it matches what this summer has been all about.

I promise to blog more about my fabulous summer soon.

Tosies of the Month - June 2012

Wow...well, I really thought I had posted this...

But, obviously, I had not.  Here it is!

******************

Designed by Nail Technician Unknown at Soleil Tan & Spa, Jamaica Plain, MA
Colors:  Sephora by OPI - Mermaid to Order and Essie - Shine of the Times
Occasion:  Warmer weather
June 2012

New Generation of Mermaids

Today at the summer program, we showed Disney's "The Little Mermaid" to a camp full of kids for their after-lunch movie.
 
I assumed that most of the little kids and girls would enjoy watching it.  But I didn't even think that many of them hadn't ever seen the movie.

I told them that I would most likely be reciting lines from the movie, and that I would even do a bit of a song and dance routine.

As "Part of Your World" came on, I ran to the stage, and proceeded to sing and mimic the moves from the movie.  Obviously, I was trying to be really corny for the kids, but it was also just plain fun.  I got a bit of applause from the kids as I took my bow when the song ended.

Then, when "Under the Sea" started playing, a coworker joined me on stage for a little bit of a dance routine.  It was really quite fun and silly.  The kids even put on the spotlight for us.

I'm sure the kids assumed that we'd continue to sing songs, but those were really all we had energy for.  I actually got a bit of a burn on my knee when I was getting all dramatic during "Part of Your World"!!!

It still stings...but it was so worth it.

At the end of the movie, when the kids were filing out of the auditorium, one of the youngest kids came up to me.  She said, "Cecilia, I never saw The Little Mermaid before, but I love it!!!"

It was perhaps the most heartwarming and best thing a little kid has said to me in a while.  Some of the kids in my group thoroughly enjoyed the movie, also saying that it was the first time they saw it.

I'm hoping that I hooked some of the kids the way I got hooked when I first saw the movie.  I'm hoping that I'm creating a couple of new mermaid fans for the next generation.

Dance Walking - I'm Hooked!

With all the flash mobs that have popped up all over the place, it's a wonder how any one is able to stay so serious.  For the most part, they seem to be about having fun or spreading some sort of message.

Back in April, I participated in International Pillow Fight Day, and I was really eager to participate in more random fun activities.  So, naturally, when I heard about Dance Walking, I had to get involved!

Basically, dance walking involves going down the street, grooving to whatever happens to be playing into your headphones.  No one else can hear what you hear, but when you feel the beat you just have to move.

I had been trying to recruit friends to join me, but to no avail.  It honestly made me a little sad to go by myself, especially since I wanted to share something fun with other people.  I almost didn't go just because I didn't want to feel lonely.

I would have felt like an idiot if I stayed home just because I had to do something by myself.

It was SO worth it!

I made sure to prep my usual workout music with more dance tunes, and I was happy to see a lot of other eager and excited faces.  I found the group along the Commonwealth Avenue parks, and we traveled through the Public Garden and Boston Common to finish in front of the fountain near the Park St. T Station.

dance walking through the Public Garden...

getting our grooves on...

safety dance!

I think I was changing my music...

someone busted out a bit of the robot...

collective groove...

jazz hands!

It was really way more fun than I could have anticipated.  We were all hoping that more dance party sessions would happen throughout the summer.  I remember thinking at one point how much I just love random spontaneous dance parties, so this felt like a natural thing for me.  When it was all over, I almost couldn't stop myself from continuing to groove down the street and during the T ride home.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to attempt to make my kids at the summer camp do a bit of dance walking as a daily activity.  Who says it all has to be serious when you grow up?